What is biomechanical assessment done with?

A clinician may watch you walk, squat, step, reach, jump, or perform a sport-specific task. They compare joint position, timing, balance, muscle control, and how force travels through the body. Depending on the setting, cameras, reflective markers, pressure-sensitive surfaces, wearable sensors, or video may add detail to the examination.

3D motion capture can record movement in several directions and help the team review patterns that are difficult to judge by eye. The findings are interpreted alongside your symptoms, strength, flexibility, injury history, footwear, and goals. A measurement describes movement at that moment; it does not by itself identify the cause of pain.

Wear comfortable clothing that allows the joints being assessed to be seen and move freely. Bring your usual footwear, braces, or activity equipment if the clinician requests them. Tell the assessor which movements hurt, when symptoms began, and what activities you want to return to. Perform each task at a safe effort and mention pain, dizziness, or a feeling of giving way immediately.

A biomechanical assessment should not replace medical review for a new injury. Seek prompt advice after a movement-related injury if swelling increases, a joint locks, weakness develops, or you cannot bear weight normally. Get urgent help for severe pain with deformity, new loss of sensation, or a limb that becomes cold or changes colour.

Ask which movements will be tested, what the measurements can and cannot show, how the findings relate to your symptoms, and which exercises, footwear changes, or technique adjustments may follow.